Cluster feeding/human pacifier-don't know how long I can do this

[Anonymous]

OP here. I try to nurse him all day, every day. I've been to the LC twice and had her come here once. While I am home I just keep him at my breast skin to skin and he sucks once in a whole and then rejects it.

The LC said to maybe think about getting the tongue snip procedure - she said he tongue isn't short but it might not be doing its job properly. She said it might make sense to wait for three to four weeks of age to see if he gets stronger.

Right now I pump when the baby is napping and bottle feed / nurse whenever he shows some interest. But he rarely takes long sucks, it's mostly the quick ones which aren't productive in nursing.

This is a roller coaster. LC said to just spend as much time with him skin to skin and get food in him however he will take it for now

[Anonymous]

Try the SNS instead of the bottle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I try to nurse him all day, every day. I've been to the LC twice and had her come here once. While I am home I just keep him at my breast skin to skin and he sucks once in a whole and then rejects it.

The LC said to maybe think about getting the tongue snip procedure - she said he tongue isn't short but it might not be doing its job properly. She said it might make sense to wait for three to four weeks of age to see if he gets stronger.

Right now I pump when the baby is napping and bottle feed / nurse whenever he shows some interest. But he rarely takes long sucks, it's mostly the quick ones which aren't productive in nursing.

This is a roller coaster. LC said to just spend as much time with him skin to skin and get food in him however he will take it for now

Hi OP. I'm sorry you're going through this, we went through the exact same thing when my son was an infant. It wasn't tongue tie (which would have been simple to fix). My pediatrician asked if I was interested in learning about alternative therapies that could help and we were willing to explore it. We ended up seeing a DO (doctor of osteopathy) named Harold Goodman in Silver Spring. He did some very gentle massage that worked like magic for us. I believe it was called infant cranial osteopathy? He explained to me that some of the neck muscles in my son were very tight from having been scrunched for so long in utero so it was keeping him from extending his tongue all the way and from opening his mouth wide enough. He literally held my baby's neck and used very light pressure points, I don't think it lasted more than 20 min or so and I was there the whole time. After the "massage" it was like a switch was flipped and my son could nurse very efficiently and I felt much less pain. We weaned from the nipple shield immediately. We had to pay for the appointment out of pocket (somewhere around $300, I think) and I could have tried to get reimbursed through insurance but I was too tired to deal with it.
Anyway, I wanted to let you know about our experience because it was very tough for me and it sounds like you're having a rough time, too. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. Good luck.